LAST year, on May 4, Inverclyde went to the polls.

Well, 50 per cent of Inverclyde did.

There will be no elections on May 4 this year but we’ve got the opening of Gourock pool to look forward to.

The pool will be open until the end of September as funding has been put in place for a month extension this year. If the decision was left to Inverclyde Leisure I don’t think there would be an extended season but as the council are funding it then that’s that.

This of course highlights the confusing relationship between Inverclyde Council and Inverclyde Leisure, which my casework tells me, many people in Inverclyde are often frustrated by this.

Inverclyde Leisure are an arms length organisation, effectively set up to save tax. They are funded by an operating fee they get from the Council and the income they take in from charges. It is not, and it should not be, the Council’s place to micro manage the budgets, the charging structure and the services that

Inverclyde Leisure offer, but as is always pointed out to me by many of the areas footballers - “ If the Council are the ones spending millions on the facilities why aren’t you setting the prices at a more affordable level.” It’s a good point, and it’s very much relevant to the ongoing debate that has been making waves in the Greenock Telegraph, that is ‘The Council’s’ decision to remove free swimming for people aged over 60.

In theory of course, Inverclyde Leisure could still provide free swimming to people aged over 60, but the revenue this would cost would need to be found elsewhere such as increased park fees, increased Hall hire fees, or increased fees to use other services such as Gyms. Many of these fees are already a lot higher than other parts of Scotland so the reality for Inverclyde Leisure is that without the funding from the council, specifically ring fenced for policies such as a longer opening season at Gourock pool or free swimming for over 60s, these policies go.

Since I was elected six years ago, I’ve always used evidence when I decide to support - or not support - a policy and the whole point of policy is to achieve outcomes. When it comes to free swimming for people aged over 60, in the absence of the council or Inverclyde Leisure ever setting out what they actually wanted to achieve from the policy, I set out my own outcomes and asked myself the following questions: Did the policy get more people over the aged of 60 involved in physical activity, with all the benefits that come with that? Does the policy help with social integration by helping older people remain included in society? Without the policy would people from lower incomes be financially excluded from continuing to enjoy swimming?

The answer to all of these questions is, I simply don’t know. The data captured was practically non-existent.

Thanks to the Greenock Telegraph I’ve heard a lot more opinions on this as of late - and by the way, I absolutely take on board your opinions that we should be as good at consulting the public on what we want to spend money on as we are on what services should be cut - however, all of the opinions have contained a similar opinion from those affected 'I’m lucky that I can still afford to swim but I worry about those that won’t be able to because of this decision'.

As a councillor in Inverclyde, not one single person has contacted me to say that because of this decision they’ll no longer be able to take part in physical activity, that they’ll be financially excluded from taking part or that they’ll be socially excluded.

Therefore here’s my pledge to you, if this decision has impacted you in the ways I’ve just mentioned, if it’s impacted your friends, or your family in this way, then let me know and I will change my mind and campaign for you to have this policy reinstated.

All policy should be set on evidence and all policies should exist to achieve outcomes.